NewLearning with Power, Leading with Pride: In Conversation with Thembi Watt

Black History Month 2025 invites us to explore the theme “Learning with Power, Leading with Pride.” It calls on us to recognise how knowledge, culture and confidence shape the way we lead and live. It is a celebration of the strength that comes from learning through experience, heritage and community, and the pride that follows when we own our stories.

In this spirit, join us on 27th October 2025, from 14:00 to 15:00 GMT, as Deborah Adebola meets Thembi Watt (FCIPD) — an HR and organisational development leader with extensive experience in the public sector. Thembi brings a thoughtful perspective on leadership, inclusion and learning, themes she regularly explores as co-host of The How to Learn Podcast with Jonathan Marshall. Together, they reflect on how learning happens in real life and how understanding that process can transform both individuals and organisations.

Through her work, Thembi champions learning as a form of empowerment. It is not just a professional skill but a way of navigating complexity and building resilience. Her approach embodies this year’s theme, using learning and self-awareness as the foundation for leading with pride, empathy and conviction.

This conversation will explore what it means to lead from a place of authenticity, to create inclusive spaces where others can thrive, and to see learning as both a personal journey and a collective responsibility.

Black History Month is a time to reflect, but also to act. Join us for this thoughtful dialogue on how we can learn with power, lead with pride and continue to build a public sector where every voice and experience has the space to be heard.

Submit your questions in advance to deborah@civilservicecollege.org.uk and get involved in the discussion.